Definition of Forever
by Evie Warner
Summary: Always second-best, no matter how hard they tried. A chance meeting in Viridian Forest sparks a friendship between two designated rivals who only wanted to prove their worth. Pre-Secondary Shipping.


**Author's Note:** Because I just love this ship, pure and simple. Insanely so. Prepare yourselves for chibi Green and Silver.

**Disclaimer:** News flash! The Pokémon franchise is still not mine. Someday, though …

* * *

**Definition of Forever**

xxx

"I spy something pink."

The heat was sweltering; the air rippled to contort imagery, and invisible steam seemed to rise from the lake that lay exposed from the canopy of the willow trees. Fire-type pokémon relished the heat; the oxygen they inhaled sizzled with their natural element, whereas water-types sought shelter in the coolest depths of the expansive lake, only a small group settling for the shade that the outskirts of the forest provided.

"Jigglypuff."

"Yepp, now it's your go."

Scarlet eyes scanned the surrounding area from beneath a large oak tree that stood proudly in the middle of the large field. The face they belonged to was expressionless; the glazed exterior hinting at the frail connection between consciousness and a maze of inner thoughts.

"Hello?" A small hand waved in front of those eyes, distorting their vision. "Are you still in there or did your brain finally get cooked?"

The eyes of another Pallet Town resident would have been tinged with irritation, but the scarlet irises simply swerved lazily to meet the impatient pair of emerald green. "I spy something blue," was the deadpan response from the black-haired boy.

Emerald eyes were immediately directed elsewhere. Having exhausted the over-used choices of "lake" and "sky" back when they had begun the tedious game, he was left with a generous array of options that were useless when lacking the drive to care.

"Um, I dunno," he murmured, half-heartedly choosing the first pokémon that met his centre of vision, "Poliwag?"

From the corner of his vision, he saw a black head of hair nod, and the surge of victory was non-existent. "This is boring and it's too hot to think," the green-eyed boy complained, running his clammy hands through his array of spiked auburn hair. His words were met without protest.

Green Oak, ten-year old grandson of a renowned professor and upcoming trainer, was _bored_ out of his young mind. He sighed, leaning his head back against the rough bark and allowing his legs to lie out straight in front of him. Summer was meant to be _fun!_ But so far the only notable thing of the month had been the steadily rising temperature.

Daisy had 'encouraged' the two boys to "go outside and enjoy the sun while it lasts" and had weakened her argument in the same minute by choosing to remain inside herself, where the sunlight couldn't touch her and the stock of ice cream was free for the taking. The evidence of the ice-pops Green and Red had been able to smuggle out had been reduced to little more than a few popsicle sticks and sticky hands.

"Hey Red, you wanna go swimming? That will cool us down."

Scarlet eyes darted over to emerald green, which had remained upon the Poliwag whom had taken the logical route and dived into the lake. "We aren't allowed."

Green scoffed, rolling his namesake eyes as he sat up straight. "Who cares? If we're cooled down then I don't care if we get yelled at."

"I do."

"Don't be such a wimp, Red! I'm not swimming alone and getting all the blame. No one will notice, anyway—the sun will dry us off." He swiftly stood up before Red could protest, then pulled the black-haired boy's arms up to bring him to his feet. "If we're real quick then we won't get caught. Besides, we can run faster than Daisy can, anyway."

Red simply frowned, his silent disapproval clear as day.

"When did you become such a scaredy-Skitty, Red?"

"It's a bad idea."

"You never wanna have fun anymore," he pouted storming off on his own. "I'll be fine on my own, traitor."

He didn't see the rare show of emotion on Red's face, the faint concern lacing his scarlet irises as he started to follow his upset friend. "Green—" was the one word that passed Red's lips as he reached out to place a hand the other's shoulder. It was all that happened before irritation spiked within Green as he snatched hold of the hand that barely grazed him.

This time, Green _did_ notice the flash of emotion that reached his friend; the way scarlet eyes widened slightly as his arm was pushed aside with such force it jeopardized his balance; he heard the soft gasp as Red failed to stabilize his feet on the sloping ground, before they were removed entirely from the grass as gravity latched hold of him.

He _definitely_ heard the splash, felt the droplets of water against his skin, saw the young Wooper scramble out of the way as Red fell.

He didn't miss how Red stared up at him with surprise tinting his eyes, while standing half-submerged within the lake, soaked from head-to-toe.

"_Green!_" He felt the warmth and colour instantly abandon his skin. "What in the name of Mew did you just do?"

Green had once seen a Dragonite lose a battle to a Glaceon who had frozen it solid, which prompted him to briefly ponder over what it must have felt like to be struck by an Ice Beam and rendered helpless to defend its coveted victory.

He was getting a taste of the experience now.

**XxXxX**

To ask for a personal opinion about someone would prompt several different answers; depending on who was asked then their answer would vary.

Scholars' world-wide would claim the renowned Professor Oak was a stern, hardworking individual who had strict rules he would not tolerate being broken.

The residents of Pallet Town would paint him as the epitome of kindness and generosity, an ambitious but humble man who wanted the best for the world and doted upon his two grandchildren.

Those two grandchildren in question would admit both answers were correct.

"Green, your behaviour is appalling as of late, I don't understand why you purposely antagonize Red to such an extent. You two have been best friends for years, what could he have possibly done to offend you so badly?"

The combination of his ten-year old pride and natural stubborn streak kept Green's lips firmly pressed together.

"Green, look at me when I speak to you or we won't get anywhere—"

Daisy was quick to intervene, placing a hand on her grandfather's arm. "Gramps, maybe I should … ?"

Looking like the old man that he was, the professor sighed, tired of the lecture he'd voiced countless times in the past.

Daisy knelt down in front of her head-strong younger brother. "Green, you can't keep doing this," she said softly. "Yes, Red is your best friend and he cares a lot about you, but that does not give you the right to bully him like this. And don't you dare insist that you don't need him because it's plain as day that you'd be lost without him."

Once again, the response was silence.

Daisy sighed; a decade of dealing with her brother had honed her parenting skills to the point she knew when she'd struck a wall when trying to reason with him. "If you're not going to be civil enough to talk about this, then go upstairs and to your room and think about where you went wrong and why. We'll try to talk again when you've cooled down and started to act your age."

"You can't tell me what to do, Daisy."

She raised an eyebrow, meeting his stare head-on. "Can't I? So I'm going to have to drag you up those stairs kicking and screaming because you won't be mature about this?"

To take a poke at Green's level of maturity dipped into emotional blackmail, but the jab prevented him from making a scene. Though pouting, he stubbornly remained silent and rigid.

"Fine, then. Act like a baby and we'll treat you like one. You're going to bed, mister."

"You can't make me."

"Rule number one of being a trainer – never, under any circumstances, underestimate your opponent." Her arms circling around Green's waist, she hoisted him up and over her shoulder, then headed for the stairs. Though his entire body was tense and trembling, Green did little more than try to wriggle out of his sister's iron-grip; the years had proved to him that dodging his wayward kicks had become a natural reflex for Daisy. "Feel free to kick and scream all you want, Green, you'll just prove my point."

"I hate you," he seethed.

"I'll keep that in mind." Opening the door with her free hand, she marched across the room and plonked her brother down on his bed. He glared at her back as she retreated to the doorway. "Now," she said, placing a hand on the doorknob, "you stay here until you're ready to talk about this calmly and reasonably, you hear me?"

The identical glares of two pairs of emerald eyes harshly fused together, as though engaged in a mute battle to wear the other down. The illusion was shattered as four words fell from the lips of the youngest;

"You're not my mom."

The other pair blinked, glazed over for a moment as an emotion fought within them, soon to be forcefully disconnected. "No, I'm not," she said quietly, her stern tone gone. "But Gramps can barely make time away from his career to take care of us, so one of us needs to chip in now and then to keep this family from falling apart anymore."

There was scarcely a pause. "You're not mom."

Daisy closed her eyes, resigned to abandon the challenge before the battle could cause unneeded harm. "Good night, Green."

Even as she closed the door and made her way back downstairs, her brother's distressed, hurtful voice pierced through the wood and plaster to strike her ears.

"_You're not mom!_"

**XxXxX**

Hours had passed.

Slowly but steadily, the sun had begun to set, illuminating his room with an amber glow. The window was open, filling the empty air with the repetitive sounds of Pallet Town's youth at play; the same record that had been playing on permanent repeat all week.

Green's mind had been working non-stop once the furious storm broiling within him had simmered down to allow him room for rational thought. He listened intently, tuning out the outside noises in favour of picking up sounds from inside the house. Voices were muffled in passing through the layers of floorboards and walls, but being caught in similar situations had honed Green's skill to a level that it was all he needed.

His bedroom window was much too high from the ground to safely jump from without breaking both his legs, which left stealth-mode as his liable option. From the level of noise, he deducted that Daisy was on the ground floor—the living room, most likely—and chances were his grandfather had returned to his lab work.

Green opened the door slowly, closing it behind him and remaining cautious not to make a noise as he crept down the hall. He peered through the stair railings, catching a glimpse of Daisy's back as she retreated into the kitchen. Moving quick, he tip-toed down the stairs, avoiding the creaky bottom step before making a Combee-line towards the front door. It was unlocked, as expected this time of day, and thankfully didn't make a sound as it was opened, then closed behind him.

Freedom was sweet.

Pallet Town was still thriving with life and provided the perfect cover, even if someone saw and recognized him. If that person did choose to report it to his sister or grandfather, it wouldn't matter as long as he moved fast and ensured he was long gone before anything could be done about it.

And so he ran. Away from Pallet Town, from punishment … and away from the broken family. He was breaking it further with his willful absence, but he smothered that thought before it could mutate into guilt.

His destination was undecided, but marking out the impossible routes had been the first steps of his plan. He couldn't attempt to swim to Cinnabar Island with the belief he could make it—with his mediocre swimming skills and lack of required stamina to make the journey, it would be a miracle if he didn't drown—and not even the dimmest Slowpoke in his grandfather's storage room would be fooled into assisting his escape. The simplest route was Route One, through the forest leading to Viridian City. After that … it would be one step at a time.

The forest looked no different than any other when viewing it from the outside, but half a mile in it reveled in its true colours. While the resident bug-Pokémon were docile and the flying-types attacked only when provoked, the forest was a vast maze, regardless of how closely one stuck to the path leading through. It was as though the forest was sentient and shifted of its own accord, simply to heighten the challenges for rookie trainers.

It was a comfort to know he would be hopelessly lost in a matter of minutes, and spite left over from earlier that day fueled his level of stamina, urging him onwards until the last of his energy was burned up and he barely avoided collapsing to the floor. He had no idea how long he had been running, but the feat must have been impressive as the sun had begun to descend, a hot pink garnishing the sky that peeked through the chinks in the canopy the trees provided.

Breathing was like dragging sandpaper through his throat, he heaved, coughing and spluttering more than once, before his mind had ceased spinning to the point he could stand up straight without the world warping before his eyes. If he had ever been to this part of the forest before, he couldn't recall it from memory. Granted, the forest was more or less identical no matter what way it was seen from, but this particular area had several striking differences.

There was a gathering of rocks arranged into a quaint circle; it wasn't hard to imagine a group of travel-worn Trainers choosing here to rest for the night, sharing stories around a crackling fire. A small, but steep cliff side was to his far right; the few jagged rocks that stuck out provided a small training ground for rock climbing, as did the faded targets drawn on with chalk, marred with a few burns.

But the most prominent feature was also the largest.

An expansive lake lay in the middle of the clearing, the surface smooth and reflective, despite the dark depths it held. A few pond lilies floated lazily on the surface, and it wasn't unlikely a few Wooper were snuggling together at the bed.

That lake, so similar to the one back at the ranch—the one that had resulted in this entire mess.

Green was scowling; _glaring_ at the lake so viciously it only spiked his anger to know the water's surface was not paralyzed as a result.

That _stupid_ lake. And stupid Red … Daisy … !

Spite fueled the jerky movement – seconds later Green's feet left the ground as he jumped into the lake, the chilled water soaking the material of his clothes and weighing down his spiked hair as he submerged himself.

Kicking fiercely, he broke the surface a moment later, throwing his head back to proclaim to the skies: "Now I can go swimming anytime I want!"

Not that he'd expected an answer, especially in such a flat, almost monotone voice: "All your problems are over. Hurray. Now shut up; you're scaring the Poliwag."

Nor had he anticipated the presence of a bored-looking girl, whose dark-red hair covered half her face, leaving only one mercury eye visible. Regardless, Green was not in the mood to be rational or polite. "They're probably hiding from your hideous face," he snapped spitefully. "Halloween is ages away, take off your mask."

He _had_ correctly predicted the scowl that twisted her visible facial features. "I'm not the one who looks like a swamp monster."

"Oh, boo hoo. Run away and play with your dolls, little girl."

But he _hadn't_ anticipated the cold glare that overtook those mercury irises. "I am not a girl!"

"Then why do you have girly hair?"

"Why do _you_ look like you have a Cyndaquil on your head?"

"At least people know I'm a boy!"

The not-girl was visibly seething, mercury eyes blazing with liquid flame—but the fire was snuffed out before the boy could open his mouth. His head snapped up, eyes widening at something in the distance behind Green, each trace of frustration and anger wiped clean by panic.

Young instinct made Green turn around; nothing in his line of vision struck him as particularly panic-inducing, unless it had more to do with the faint yelps coming from a distance away.

Twigs snapped from behind him, and upon turning back he saw the rock had been abandoned, and that a small red-and-black figure was fleeing. "Hey, don't just run away—that's rude!"

Rationalism and epiphanies had never been his fore-take.

Just as he hauled himself out of the lake and began his pursuit, he saw the red-head clamor inside the hollow of a large tree. "You're in trouble, aren't you? That's why you're hiding."

Though he _was_ skilled at recognizing behavioral patterns, having gone through a wide variety of them himself.

He peered inside the opening in the bark, where the young boy would have blended in if his hair colour matched his clothes, and was viciously shushed. "Why? Don't you want them to hear me?" he challenged, annoyance prickling beneath his skin. "Maybe I should let them find you."

Panic immediately struck the boy's face. "Don't!" he squeaked, reaching out to grasp Green's drenched shirt, and with an impressive burst of strength, yanked him forward through the opening, before clamping his other hand over the soaked boy's mouth.

Their combined masses squeezed into a small crawl-space left little room for Green to struggle, but dammit, he tried!

The boy applied pressure to the hand covering Green's mouth. "_Shut up!_" he pleaded quietly, his voice trembling just like the rest of him was.

"Houndoom, have you picked up the scent?"

The voice was firmer than the boy's hushed pleas, sounding from a little distance away from where he hid. Immediately silent, Green redirected his gaze from the boy's stricken face to the opening in the bark, providing a sliver of sight into the unfolding scene outside.

Two men, both dressed head-to-toe in black, stood near the lake Green and the boy had been seconds before, accompanying a Houndoom sniffing the ground keenly while a Golbat hovered nearby.

"Doesn't seem like it," one of the men spoke, eyes fixed upon the Houndoom as it studied the ground. "Hard to pick out a scent in the middle of a forest; trainers come through places like this all the time."

The other man snorted quietly. "How much are you betting that all those trainers happen to have a Sneasel handy? No ice-type habitats in this area, if Silver was here then we'd know. Let's try someplace else before someone else finds him."

"Aye," the first agreed. "I'd rather the Boss let me keep my head attached to my neck."

The second man whistled sharply, and the Houndoom stood up sharply, abandoning the fading trail.

The boy—Silver? —was shivering violently throughout the ordeal, his hand creating an almost bruising pressure on Green's face as the men retreated, the howl of the Houndoom signaling their increasing, and the flapping of Golbat's wings growing fainter with each passing moment …

A full five minutes of silence passed before Silver retracted his hand, his entire body quivering as he finally released the breath he must have been holding.

"Who are those people … ?" Green inquired, his voice quiet and threadbare from the minutes of forced suppression.

"None of your Beedrill's wax," the red-head murmured, wasting no time in sliding back out of the opening.

Green frowned at the back of the boy's head, breaking out of his reverie to follow. "I know a Wheezing who is happier than you look," he muttered, though apparently not quiet enough to avoid detection.

"I said _shut up!_" the younger snarled, the burning stare overtaking the expression of fear that had dominated his features just seconds ago.

"Make me," Green challenged, which the red-head rose to.

"If you don't, they will send you back, too," he threatened. "I will make them. You can't stop me."

Getting caught would put a hefty dent in his escape plans … witty responses, or even a fitting insult, escaped Green's grasp, but a glare equal to the red-head's was a suitable substitute.

If the red-head reveled in his victory, he didn't show it. He heatedly returned Green's glare with one of his own, his eyes narrowed and hardened, scarcely blinking.

"Why are you running away?" Green asked, his voice quieter but hardly warmer. "You said 'too' and that means you are running away as well."

It didn't come as a surprise that the red-head refused to comment.

"Lemme guess, you did something horrible and you won't own up that it's your fault." He knew he'd struck a nerve as Silver visibly flinched. "You made your parents mad, something so bad it hurt them and now you're running away to hurt them even more – "

"_I said shut up!_"

The red-head's shriek was the sole warning Green had; with speed and agility an Arcanine would be envious of, Silver leapt off the ground and collided with Green with such tremendous force it sent them both crashing down onto the grass. Small hands struck Green anywhere they could, mercury eyes blazing with untamed rage.

But though gravity was on Silver's side, his small frame near weightlessness was his handicap; with a forceful shove, Green easily threw Silver off him, the air rushing out of the red-head's lungs as he fell unceremoniously on his side. He was rearing his arm back to nail a direct hit while he had the chance, but his muscles seized up as a choked sound left Silver.

"Just go!" the red-head shouted, briefly granting Green a glance of tear-filled mercury eyes as he scrambled to his feet. "Leave me alone and never come back!"

There was little reason to comply immediately, as Silver wasted no time in running, at least until his legs gave out after barely a few meters, far enough that the red-head must have deemed it a satisfactory distance from Green. He either didn't bother or simply couldn't get back onto his feet; he instead opted to hide himself behind the nearest tree, wrapping his arms around his legs as he pulled his knees up to his chest.

The forest was silent, barely a chirp from a bird-pokémon or a noisy jitter from a Caterpie filling the emptiness. Thus it was too simple to notice when something finally made itself heard; even with a generous distance between them, Green couldn't _not_ hear it when muffled sobs began to shake Silver—burying his face into his sleeve was doing nothing to hold back the noises fighting their way into existence.

It made enough sense that even when preoccupied with trying to hold in his emotion, Silver would have heard when Green got to his feet, cautiously making his way over to the red-head huddled beneath a tree.

"Why are you crying?"

He succeeded in making Silver curl up tighter. "Go away," was the murmured response, but it was his unfortunate luck that Green lived up to the stubborn nature than ran in his blood.

"No," he replied. "I'm not leaving until you tell me."

The growl that emitted from Silver sounded remarkably like a cautious Growlithe. "It's none of your business!"

"Then make it my business. I'll tell you why I ran away if you tell me why you did."

"No."

Green sat down on the grass and folded his arms. "Then I'm not leaving."

"Idiot," he heard Silver mutter quiet enough to assume it was not meant to be heard.

"Scaredy-Skitty," Green taunted—he didn't miss how Silver flinched. "You _are_ scared, aren't you?"

"Shut up," was the confirmation.

"What are you scared of?"

"I said shut up!"

Emerald eyes widened as the situation shaped itself in an angle that made infinite sense … "You _did _run away 'cause someone made you mad." His voice came out as barely a whisper.

Silver's still and silent form was all Green needed for the truth to firmly fall into place. Here was a boy with the same predicament, the same motivation to run away as Green possessed. And if this boy was anything like himself … there was only one way to get a response out of him.

"You're stupid," Green said in the most unfriendly tone he could muster, while bracing himself for the inevitable physical lash of fury, "go home, little girl."

Perhaps it was why he jumped when instead of violence, Silver seemed to _choke_ – he trembled as though caught up in a frenzy of grief, his irregular breaths coming out as a chorus of choked hiccups as his small fists clenched tightly around the material of his trousers.

Emerald eyes were wide as he stared at the shivering child—as though he'd flicked an invisible switch that flipped Silver's emotions from 'mildly frustrated and confused' to 'on the verge of an emotional breakdown' the demeanor of the red-haired child had thrown him for a complete loop.

"I-I … I c-can't go home … " were the words he eventually managed; had the forest not been so deathly silent then Green would have missed them entirely. "I k-killed my mom a-and if I go h-home … my dad will die, t-too … "

What was there to say?

Green had always been savvy with words—it was a family trait—but when applying those words as a follow up to a broken confession …

His heart felt constricting, writhing within his chest as it struggled to break away from his circulatory system, stuttering wildly and causing the blood flow to make his arms feel numb. The cool moisture formed on his back and forehead, as it always did in the times he found himself in a regretful position, when words we no longer a weapon or means of finding a way out.

" … oh … "

What else _could_ he say … ?

"What happened?" was what he wanted to know. "Why did you kill her?" was what he _needed_ to know.

The questions simultaneously slipped past his lips before he could stop them.

"I didn't mean to!" Silver all but shrieked, lifting his head to stare at Green with a stricken horror etched upon his crumpled, half-visible features. "I-I was scared … they broke into my h-house and wanted to kill me, b-but my mom made me hide and w-wouldn't t-t-tell them where I w-was." His mercury eyes glistened with a thick layer of unshed tears. "Th-they told me to come out but I-I didn't, and … they killed her … "

Time seemed to slow as the creases of distress smoothed out, half-closed eyes slowly widening as the truth spoken from his lips dawned upon his young mind … twin trails of moisture rolled down his cheeks as the willful dam holding them in began to break … desperation melted away from his face to unearth wide-eyed shock …

"Mom … " he murmured, parted lips hardly moving, " … they killed my mom … " His face began to crumple once again, only this time devoid of desperation as sheer grief took its place. "A-and it's my fault … "

The dam broke … liquid grief gushed from mercury eyes as the wall of denial was savagely torn down by revelation … choked sobs racking his small body, his hands useless in muffling the sound as they clamped over his mouth … torment ravaged within his glazed irises …

If grief could make a sound, then it was emitting from within Silver's throat.

Nothing … words were no longer Green's ally; his lips silently opened and closed to try and coax some reaction from his paralyzed vocal chords …

_I'm sorry_. There was only pity, genuine words of sympathy that were difficult to form. "I'm sorry … " His voice was weak, pitiful from its refusal to work, that even their close proximity may not have been enough for Silver to hear.

"Th-they said that … they w-would kill m-my dad, too … I-I don't want my dad to die!" His voice rose with hysteria after each word spoken. "S-so I … I ran away … I'm n-not going back."

Green swallowed heavily, fresh words scarcely easier to form. "I'm s—"

Silver tore his hands away from his face. "Don't be sorry!" His eyes blazed with crazed hysteria. "D-don't be sorry—I-I deserved it … "

Words failed them both. Anything else Silver had intended to say dissolved into a fit of broken sobs; his head bowed and his arms weakly wrapped around his knees, he appeared capable of very little more than mentally hold onto whatever was keeping his sanity intact.

Green pulled his gaze away, staring blankly down at the floor as he idly intertwined his fingers. He wasn't sure what it was that thawed out his voice, nor was he aware anything had until he heard it: "I killed both my parents."

He was clueless as to what he had expected, how he had hoped Silver would respond to the whispered confession. But the minutes of lax control over his emotional turmoil must have done something – the urgency of his pained cries barely wavered, though when Green dared himself to look back, he found two mercury eyes staring back from beneath a curtain of deep-red hair.

"T-they used to go away a lot and I didn't like it." The ability to speak was so simple now, so devastatingly easy that each word piled on guilt—as though such a fluid action must be the worst option to take. "One time they said they were going away for a month but I didn't want them to go."

Silver's body was rigid, his cries muffled so that he was barely breathing, but his eyes were intent, a storm raging within mercury irises as curiosity and fear battled for dominance.

"I pretended I was sick so they would stay home. But when they went out to get medicine for me … "

There was hesitance, the block in his throat desperately holding back the final words … swallowing heavily and squeezing his eyes shut, Green plowed through it.

"Their car crashed a-and … I never saw them again." He didn't need to look. He could _feel_ the gaze those haunted eyes upon his cheek. "If I let them go on their trip they would still be alive … "

No … there was no more he could manage …

The pressure was alleviated from the side of his face. "That wasn't your fault," were the meek words that followed, his voice thick with suppressed emotion. "Y-you didn't know that making them s-stay would get th-them killed. I-I knew my mom would get h-hurt … "

It was a pity party. There was no way Green would single-handedly take all the sympathy. "Your mom tried to protect you, and she died so you wouldn't."

Just one word, such young naivety and a child's inability to understand, crammed evenly into a single syllable. "So?"

Green made himself look, and found the expected sight of the red-head staring at the surface of the water. "So it means she loves you, right?" he offered. "W-why would you give up your life to save someone else if you didn't love them a lot?"

Tension returned to Silver's face, his lips pressing together into a firm line.

"She would be really upset if she couldn't protect you, and you died instead—"

"That's stupid," Silver spat viciously, as though venom lay on his tongue. "My mom should have lived and I should have died."

His frown was mirrored upon Green's lips. "She saved you, Silver," he said with firm conviction, "and I bet she would do it again."

Silver's fists tightened further, his knuckles turning a nearly luminous white. " … your parents died protecting you, too," he spoke in a voice so soft it clashed dramatically with his tense exterior.

"What?" This time Green couldn't look away from the younger boy. "No they didn't—"

"Jobs are important," Silver calmly interrupted, "and they had to go away to make money, but they stayed at home so they could take care of you instead. And they went to get medicine for you so you wouldn't get sicker."

Green's frown tightened. "It's not the same." His parents hadn't jumped in front of a bullet for him, or performed a ritual sacrifice to Arceus to bring him back from the brink of death at the cost of their own lives …

"I think it is."

This time, Green didn't say silent because his body refused to allow him to speak, this time he didn't _want_ to speak, to summon the energy to say anything back to the red-head.

"Why did you run away?" Silver inquired. "You promised me you would tell me if I told you."

Synthetic venom laced Green's voice, "Because I hate my sister."

"Why?"

"She's not my mom, and I don't want her to try because she _isn't_—I want my sister back."

Silver stared up at him, his small nose crinkling. "I bet she's worried about you," he murmured.

Green shrugged. "I bet your dad is worried about you." He didn't miss how Silver shifted uneasily. "He's looking for you, isn't he?"

"I'm protecting him."

"Then who's protecting you?"

A defensive scowl snarled Silver's face. "I don't need protecting."

"Everyone needs protecting."

"Even _you?_" Silver challenged.

Green found himself hesitating. "Yeah, even me."

Mercury eyes were unrelenting, staring deeply into emerald green as though unearthing a millennia-old discovery.

"I'll protect you."

But the illusion was shattered as mercury eyes blinked, windows to the bewilderment that lie within. "Wha—?"

Green hastily explained, "Then you can always protect your dad because someone is protecting you." He stared into mercury eyes as they blinked once, twice, thrice—

"I don't need—" His protest died out into a gasp as Green's arms found their way around him, holding the red-head's small frame close. "Green, w-what are you doing?" he asked, quivering in the unfamiliar embrace.

"My sister hugs me sometimes to remind me that I'm not alone," Green filled in.

Silver closed his eyes, refusing to allow himself to relax. "You don't mean that. You will leave and we'll never see each other again."

Green frown was concealed by the mass of red hair. "No way," his whispered firmly, "when I make promises, I keep them. I will always be your best friend forever … if you want me to?"

Silver was rigid, as though his muscles had seized up from a point-blank Stun Spore attack. But if an antidote existed, Green unknowingly applied it by tightening the embrace, feeling the red-head gradually melt against him. "I wanna go home, Green," he murmured, burying his face against the older boy's shoulder, "but … I'm scared."

"You don't need to be scared—I promised I would protect you, remember?"

Silver hiccupped. "But … my dad … " He closed his eyes, his small hands grasping Green's shirt as he burrowed closer to the older boy's warmth. "I-I wish I wasn't scared – like you."

His nine-year old ego would have purred at such words twelve hours ago, but his confident mask had been chipped away by the red-head in his arms, freely allowing the reality sink in and for the truth to express itself. "I wish I _was_ you." He looked down as Silver looked up, mercury eyes wide and shimmering with tears.

"Why … ?"

"Because you still have your dad – I don't have any parents." He felt lighter, finally shedding the weight of an unspoken confession he hadn't known was bothering him. If the smallest breeze reached them, he felt as though Silver would be the only thing holding him back from being carried away like a drowsy Hoppip. "You're lucky," he whispered—the honesty felt like freedom after years of oppression.

Mercury eyes didn't break the silent connection; tears remained unshed and Green felt almost scared to blink—as though the split second of blindness would allow Silver to be snatched away from him.

It came as a small rush of relief when Silver was the first to blink, staring down at the ground once more … one connection had been halted, but Silver remained as close as he had been, protected by the snug embrace Green provided—safety that Silver snuggled closer into. "You're warm," he murmured.

Green smiled, unable to resist replying, "You're tiny."

He felt Silver bristle slightly. "Am not."

"You'd be awesome at hide-and-seek," Green offered. "I'm too big to hide so people find me right away. I hate it."

"But … you're stronger."

"Then don't get caught—if they can't catch you, they can't kill you, so your dad won't have to worry about you."

Silver's long silence hinted at his inner musings. " … my dad is strong," he mumbled, as though he hadn't noticed he was speaking aloud.

"Then maybe he can take care of himself," Green pointed out.

"Maybe … " Silver mumbled, his words distorted by a yawn that broke through. "Green, I'm tired … and I want to go home now … "

"Sleep now, go home tomorrow."

A final yawn escaped Silver as he nodded sleepily; the final tension in his body evaporated as the minutes slipped by, his slightly irregular breathing evening out, all until he was eventually slumped comfortably against Green, the dried tears on his cheeks the only physical reminder of his show of grief.

**XxXxX**

"Y-you promise you won't forget me?" Silver asked nervously, one mercury eye visible as he gazed almost fearfully into emerald green through a thick curtain of dark-red hair. "Because if you break a promise, then Hypno will steal you away, like they take away all bad kids—"

"I have _never_ broken a promise in my whole life, and I'm not starting now."

The shy smile that spread across Silver's face provided a shocking contrast between the furious scowl that had snarled his face the previous night.

Green had awoken two hours earlier, his back aching slightly from hours of sleeping against the tree trunk, to find his vision mostly obscured by a mass of deep red hair. Silver had slept peacefully for half an hour more, his tiny fists clenching Green's shirt as though fearful he would try to escape during the night.

When the red head had finally awoken, it had taken a small while longer for Green to coax him into agreeing to return home, until finally they began the walk to Viridian City together, with Silver latching onto Green's arm the whole while, clinging so tightly Green wouldn't be surprised to find small bruises decorating his skin.

"Don't be scared," were some of the words he had repeatedly assured Silver with whenever the red-head showed a surge of fear.

"W-what if my dad is mad at me for running away?"

"He might be." He felt a spike of guilt as Silver stared at him, looking stricken. "B-but this one time my gramps was really bust so he was having a hard time feeding all the Pokémon on time. I wanted to help him so I tried to feed them, but I accidently gave the wrong food to the Tauros—it was too spicy for them so they tried to run for the lake and scared the water-pokémon. I nearly got hurt and so did the pokémon … gramps was really mad at me, even though I was really sorry. But Daisy told me he was mad because he was scared because he didn't know if I was okay, and didn't want me to be in danger ever again. He told me he was sorry he yelled at me, and made me promise I would leave feeding the pokémon to him."

Silver's gaze lowered, eyes filled with enlightened curiosity. "He was only mad because he was worried … "

"Your dad might be angry and yell at you, but right now he doesn't know where you are or if you're hurt. Lots of people get mad because they're scared; Daisy said it's because they don't know how else to express it."

"Sometimes I get mad when I'm upset," Silver admitted.

"Me too." He sadly recalled his most recent 'conversation' with Daisy. "But you should always let them know you didn't mean it, and you really do love them. Apologize."

"I _am_ sorry I ran away and scared my dad … "

"And I'm sorry I ran away and scared my sister and grandpa. And for being mean to Red … "

Silver looked up at him with curiosity. "Who's Red?"

"My other friend—I was mean to him so Daisy and gramps got mad, then I got mad and ran away." He felt Silver squeeze his hand, and looked down to see him smiling shyly. "Daisy says the first step to recovery and forgiveness is to apologize, but only if you mean it. You should never say sorry unless you mean it with all your heart."

Dark red hair tumbled over mercury eyes as Silver looked down. "I _do_ mean it … "

"So tell him," Green urged, reaching out to tuck strands of Silver's hair behind his ears, clearing his vision. He retracted his hand sharply as the young boy stiffened immediately, as though that hair was scalding hot, but if anything, Silver gripped his hand tighter, his entire body tense and ready to run.

Mercury eyes were no longer focused on the ground, but rather staring ahead, and when Green followed Silver's line of sight, a wave of understanding crashed over him.

Four men stood a distance away, three wearing the same black shirt and trouser combination as the two searching the woods the previous night, while the other, also clad in black, wore a suit of such sharp sophistication it meshed seamlessly with the aura of respect and power Green could sense radiating from him even from a distance.

Asking for the man's identity wasn't necessary. "Go home, Silver." He looked down just as Silver looked up, his face unconcealed and emotions clear for analyzing.

When Silver eventually stepped forward, he grazed the grass with the sole of his foot before placing it down entirely, as though he were trying to travel across a frozen lake, testing the strength of the ice before committing. He took another slow step, then another, each small but very much there. His hand remained latched onto Green's all the while, their arms lifting until straight, before their hands finally slipped out of each other's grasp.

Only then did Silver pause entirely, peering back over his shoulder, as though fearful loss of physical contact meant Green would vanish altogether. "Promise?" he whispered, the breeze carrying his voice.

Green smiled. "On my life."

The smile that graced Silver's lips was small, but unmistakably genuine; visible for a fleeting moment before Silver turned away, his legs gaining strength and stamina as he ran forward.

Hidden by the sturdy trees, and the shade the canopy of leaves provided, Green stayed still, his gaze never wavering from the red-haired boy as he kept running, never reaching his destination as he father looked up, eyes meeting the one he was searching for and then meeting him halfway. His arms wound around his son, lifting him off the ground as Silver clung to him like a young Aipom.

Green stayed watching as the father scolded his son, who in return hugged his father as though fearful to let go of his lifeline to Earth; watching as the man turned around to carry his son back inside; as the door closed behind them … and as for a moment so brief Green could have imagined it, Silver looked up over his father's shoulder, mercury eyes meeting emerald green before the heavy wood separated their gaze.

And only then did Green turn away, facing the path that would take him from Viridian City to Pallet Town, where a frantic family and an eternal punishment awaited him. He took a step with more conviction than his former-companion's, confident that the ice would not break, and made his way down the path, arriving back home before the afternoon was out.

**XxXxX**

"Daisy?"

He peered into her room, expelling a full hour of built-up confidence to face his inevitably furious sister. She sat rigidly at her dressing table, setting down her hairbrush at the sound of his voice. Her sharp emerald glare met him through her mirror. "Don't give me those Growlithe eyes," she warned. "I'm still furious you ran away. I don't think Gramps can manage those kinds of scares at his age – "

Her stern scolding was imminent; his chance was now or never. "I'm sorry I killed mom and dad," he said quietly, the words tumbling clumsily from his lips, resembling an unintelligible murmur to his own ears.

But Daisy's own words halted, her narrowed eyes widening slightly. Even when filtered by her own reflection, Daisy's glare still retained its ability to paralyze him on the spot, a fact becoming more prominent in his mind as the wish that he'd stayed in his room until the morning steadily increased.

"Green … " she murmured, her own voice quiet; the sound of her voice seemed to jolt realization within her as shock flashed through her eyes before she spun round, emerald irises hardened as they met his. "Green, don't ever say something like that," she scolded. "What happened to our parents was a complete accident and none of it was your fault."

She should have yelled. He _wished_ she'd yelled. Instead she was unintentionally laying on the guilt.

"I-I just wanted them to stay home for a little while," he pushed on, forcing himself to speak now while his voice was still functioning, "so we could be a real family again. But I-I don't think we were meant to be a real family … " He swallowed the lump in his throat, redirecting his gaze to the perfume bottle on the dressing table behind Daisy. "I'm sorry I did that. We miss them all the time, but please don't try to be mom. You aren't mom and I don't want you to be – I want my big sister back. I miss you … "

His voice wavered dangerously, jeopardizing the small chance he had at saying his piece. But it mattered not; he'd barely finished his last broken sentence before Daisy was at his side, her arms enveloping him in a hug.

"Promise me you will _never_ scare me like you did ever again." Her voice was firm, but Green could hear the tremble that was only just there, forcefully held back by sheer strength of will.

His own arms came to encircle her neck, completing the embrace. "I promise," he murmured against her shoulder, closing his eyes tightly.

As a result, her arms tightened around him. "Then I will always be here for you," she whispered back. "As your sister, not your mother."

Her promises were never broken, and those words were all he needed to hear. Tears threatened to leak through his closed eyelids and soak her shirt, but before the last scrap of strength holding them back broke, before his voice succumbed to the sobs building in his chest, Green managed to speak once more, two words meant for her ears only;

"Thank you … "

**XxXxX**

Several miles north in the centre of Viridian City, an eight-year-old red-head was coaxed from his sleep by a continuous tapping sound. He looked up wearily, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the darkness of his room, his gaze falling upon a Murkrow standing on the window ledge, repeatedly nudging the pane of glass with his beak, in which it held a small white envelope that bore one word;

_Silver_.

**XxXxX**

* * *

**Author's Note:** Chances are, I will continue this. As in, I already have the second part planned out and partially written. But for the sake of my sanity, I am marking this as a one-shot.

Hope y'all enjoyed. :D If not, then that's really too bad …

**XxXxX**


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